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Building a Co-operative Community in Public Housing
The Case of the Atkinson Housing Co-operative
Jorge Sousa (Author)
9780802038036
Paperback / softback, published 4 July 2013
272 pages, 5 figures, 1 map
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.38 kg
Public housing projects were the original form of government supported housing for low-income residents. Over the last fifty years many projects have struggled with high crime rates and numerous social problems. One solution proposed to address these ongoing issues is granting residents decision-making power within their community by converting into a co-operative. Building a Co-operative Community in Public Housing follows the journey of a Toronto public housing complex as it was converted into a resident-operated co-operative, a first in Canada. Jorge Sousa traces the story of Alexandra Park, which became the Atkinson Housing Co-operative in 2003 after a ten-year conversion process. Sousa, who himself was raised in the community, provides an empirical account of the contributing factors that influenced its decision to pursue community-based control, as well as the experiences of both residents and government officials engaged in this process. Finally, Building a Co-operative Community in Public Housing offers a framework for other communities facing similar circumstances who want to learn how to go about undertaking this process. All royalties from this book will be contributed to the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto Charitable Fund.
Introduction Chapter Overview Chapter 1 Canadian Public Housing Policy and Programs Chapter 2 Constructing a Theoretical Lens to Understand the Conversion Experiment Chapter 3 Exploring the Reasons for Transforming the Alexandra Park Housing Project Chapter 5 Theoretical Analysis of the Atkinson Conversion Process Chapter 6 Extending the Conversion Experiment Beyond the Atkinson Housing Co-operative Conclusion Afterword Updated Status of the Atkinson Housing Co-operative Community Identity Leadership and Participation Barriers to Building Capacity and Enhancing Community Development Future Prospects References Appendix A Images of the Community Appendix B Methodology and Research Design Research Process